Inspiration

Design considerations: The client was looking for a flexible one-storey retail structure with storage and services in the cellar. The site is made up of 4 lots in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

North Williamsburg was once home to shipyards, shipbuilding, brewing, and sugar refineries, and condiment manufacturers. Now it is known for the gentrification, “hipsters” and a vibrant art scene, though the area has priced out much of this. More acutely, this plot of land was once home to a butcher shop.

Design approach: We sought to encompass the tradition of manufacturing and warehousing in the area with heavy materiality and a nod to the specific history of the butcher shop. This approach lends itself to suit the function of retail with flexible storefronts and maximum display window areas.

The industrial nature of the area forms informs the building design. What appears to be vastly oversized steel beams and columns are combined with large spans of glass a large skylight and clerestory windows to balance openness with the weighty appearance. A parapet wall made up of wood blocks with edges facing outward gives the impression of a butcher block so that history is reflected on the new structure.